A Second Chance Christmas
by Angie Elle
Summary: When Nathan and Haley decide to give their kids one last Christmas before they announce they're getting divorced, fate gives Nathan a glimpse of what his life would be without Haley, and what it would be at it's best. AU
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

**A/U: One of my favorite holiday movies is ****The Family Man****, and as I was watching it the other night, I was inspired to write this Naley story. It's going to be four parts. I hope you like it.**

"So it's settled, then," Haley said. "We'll give the kids one last Christmas and then…we'll file for divorce."

Nathan looked at his wife; she was sitting across the table from him with a guarded expression on her face. He wasn't sure what had happened, but somehow over the last few years they'd drifted apart. It had been over six months since they'd made love; Haley slept so close to the edge of the mattress some nights that he was amazed she didn't roll off the bed while she was sleeping.

"Haley…" His voice trailed off as he studied her face.

She sighed. "Nathan—"

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" he interrupted softly.

She stood up. "Don't do this, Nathan." She sighed. "It was hard enough to make this decision. Now that we've made it, let's not second guess ourselves. Yes, I'm sure we're doing the right thing."

"But the kids—"

Haley laughed miserably. "The kids don't deserve two parents who aren't in love with each other any more."

"You're right," Nathan agreed. "They don't deserve that."

He wished he knew what to do, what to say to make her love him again. But there were no magic words. It wasn't that he wasn't in love with Haley anymore; it was that he'd started to take her for granted and hadn't tried hard enough to show her how much he loved her. And he'd gone so long without showing her, he was afraid it was too late.

Nathan lay in bed that night thinking that things couldn't get much worse.

But that was before he woke up the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for your reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one! - Angie_

Nathan awoke with a groan. He stretched, and then cursed as his hand hit the wall. What the…his bed wasn't against a wall. His eyes flew open and he looked around frantically. This wasn't his house. These…weren't his things. Nathan jumped out of bed and dashed over to the closet, heaving the doors open. He quickly scanned its contents…all of the clothes belonged to him.

He ran out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door. All of the food in there was things that he'd buy. The beer in there was the brand he drank. There were keys hanging by the door, and sure enough, one of them on the ring belonged to the vehicle he drove. He scanned the apartment and recognized some things: the trophies he'd earned over the years from his basketball career, the sneakers on the floor, and the coat hanging just inside the doorway.

He went over to his jacket and reached into the pocket. Jackpot! His cell phone was in there. He quickly dialed one on the speed dial and then hung up. What was he going to say? _Hey, Haley. I woke up this morning and I'm not sure where I am. Any ideas? Hey, Haley. Did you happen to wake up in a parallel universe? _Yeah, because _that_ sounded rational.

Nathan hurried back to his bedroom and grabbed some clothes, then headed for the shower. Maybe it would clear his head.

* * *

His key didn't work in the front door, so he pounded on it instead. It was a minute before it flew open. "God, Nathan. Why don't you just bang the damn thing down?" Haley asked irritably.

"This is _my_ house—"

She laughed bitterly. "This hasn't been _your_ house for a while, Nathan."

"Look—"

"You're an hour early," she said. "But…the kids are ready, so if you get them back an hour earlier than you were supposed to, you can take them now."

"Fine," Nathan said. How could he argue with her when he didn't know what the hell was going on?

"Mommy," he heard Jamie yell as he came running up to his mother. "Do we _have _to…?" His voice trailed off when he saw his father, and to Nathan's dismay, the little boys face fell.

"Hey, Jimmy-Jam," Nathan said.

"Hi, Daddy," Jamie said quietly.

Haley picked the little boy up in her arms and kissed him on the tip of the nose. "Can you go grab your jacket, please? I want to talk to Daddy for a minute," she told him.

Jamie nodded and she put him down; he dashed off.

She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "So…about New Years Eve. I'm assuming you have plans?"

He nodded cautiously. "Probably."

"Well, if it's OK with you, I'd like to keep the kids," she told him.

"Sure," he agreed. "If that's what you want."

She was silent for a moment before meeting his gaze levelly. "I'm…_we're_ getting married on New Years Eve," she said. "Jason and I."

"Wha…what?" Nathan asked in disbelief. "It's…kind of sudden, isn't it?"

She met his gaze levelly. "I'm pregnant, Nathan. And we'd really like to be married before the baby comes."

Nathan's eyes flew to her stomach. He'd never even considered the fact that Haley's belly would ever be swollen with any mans child but his. He stood there, speechless.

He remembered his last thought before he fell asleep last night. He'd been wrong; he'd been unbelievably wrong. Things were a _lot_ worse.

* * *

Nathan's cell phone rang and he reached into his jacket pocket to answer it. A quick look at the caller ID told him it was Lucas. "Hey," he answered.

"Hey. Where are you?" Lucas asked.

"Umm…on my way back to my place," he said.

He heard Lucas sigh on the other end of the phone. "Nate, dinner is ready and Brooke and the kids are hungry. Are you cancelling on us?"

Cancelling on them? _Not a chance,_ Nathan thought. Not when Lucas could probably shed some light on this life for him. "We're on our way," he said quickly.

"I'll see you in a few," Lucas said.

"Hey! What…was…your address again?" Nathan asked.

"The same as it's _always_ been, Nate," Lucas said before he hung up the phone.

"Hey," Nathan said, looking at his son in the rearview mirror. "Let's play a game. Who knows the way to Uncle Lucas' house?" he asked.

2323232323232323232323

"Haley won't let me have the kids on Christmas day," Nathan hissed as soon as he and Lucas were out of earshot.

Lucas gave him a confused look. "Do you blame her?" he asked.

"They're my kids, too!" he said angrily.

Lucas frowned. "Nate, you're leaving the country with your girlfriend. I wouldn't let you take them, either. Your separation hasn't been exactly what I'd call amicable."

Nathan's brows furrowed.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Cordial," he explained.

"Right," Nathan said with a nod. "You know, when I went to pick them up this morning…Lydia wouldn't even come to me. When Haley passed her to me, she had to pry her hands from her shirt." The thought still devastated him. The little girl had been sobbing, not wanting to leave her mother. Nathan didn't even think she knew who he was.

Lucas nodded. "It's been like that for a while, Nate. Why are you so worried about it now?"

"I don't…I don't know," he answered. "I _should_ have been worried about it before."

Lucas nodded. "I agree. But you were too busy with what's her name," he said.

Nathan nodded carefully. "What _is_ her name?" he asked.

"You…are you all right today?" Lucas asked. "You're acting really weird."

Nathan sighed. "Haley's getting married," he told his brother.

Lucas nodded cautiously.

Nathan shook his head. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" he asked.

"She seems happy, Nate. If that means anything."

He was quickly coming to realize that Haley's happiness _did_ mean something to him. In fact, it meant _everything_, but he didn't want her to be happy with anyone but him. "She's having someone else's baby," he whispered.

"I know," Lucas said.

"Why didn't it work out, Luke?"

Lucas shrugged. "You guys gave up too easily, Nate."

Brooke walked into the room. "Of course, it would have helped if you hadn't cheated on her," she said.

"I cheated on her?" Nathan asked in disbelief. "No. I wouldn't do that," he argued.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Let's get one thing straight. The only reason you're here is because you're my husbands' brother. Haley is my friend, Nate, and since you couldn't keep it in your pants, _my_ loyalty is to _her_."

"Brooke—" Lucas said warningly.

"Now that that's out of the way, what do you say we let the kids open their presents?" she interrupted him.

* * *

After he dropped the kids off Nathan didn't know what else to do, so he headed back to the apartment he'd woken up in that morning.

A flood of things were going through his mind as he crawled into bed that night. First of all, he'd cheated on Haley? He'd _never_ cheat on Haley! Yeah, they were at a rocky point in their marriage, even deciding to divorce, but he wouldn't have _cheated_ on her.

And then there were the kids…neither one of them had wanted to come with him today. They'd practically run into the house when he'd dropped them off. He hadn't even had a chance to say good bye to them. And Haley hadn't said a word to him, just closed the door after they were safely inside.

One thing was for certain: Nathan didn't like _this_ version of his life. And he knew that he wasn't going to like any version of his life without Haley and the kids.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nathan," he heard Haley whisper urgently the next morning as the mattress shifted. _Finally, _he thought as he snuggled further underneath the covers. _Things were back to normal. _He opened his eyes slowly, rubbing the sleep from them. When his vision came into focus, he flew into a sitting position. "Haley," he rasped, staring at his almost naked wife. _Well, _almost _back to normal._

His wife's hips were off the mattress, and she was shimmying her panties down over her lower legs.

"What are you…doing?" he asked huskily, almost panicked. It had been so long since he'd made love to his wife, he actually felt nervous.

She turned her head on the pillow to face him as she lifted her feet to kick her panties off. "Getting lucky," she said in a sexy, teasing voice. "At least, I _hope_ so." She moved up onto her side, lifting a hand to his chest. She giggled when he jumped beneath her touch. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"We—"

"Only have about half an hour before the kids are up," she interrupted. "And then it's breakfast, baths, and toys. Are you up for some grown up play time?" Her hand moved down over his upper body until she reached beneath the waistband of his boxers, her hand wrapping around his arousal. "Why, yes. You are."

She pulled her hand away and lightly slapped his chest. "Get rid of those," she said, nodding toward his boxers.

"Haley…" Nathan said, confused. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

His wife sighed. "My mom and dad's flight is getting in at three, Nathan. And then they're here for four days. You absolutely refuse to have sex when they're in the house." He just stared at her, causing her to sigh as she blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Yes. I think it's a good idea."

"But—"

She moved impatiently up onto her knees, grabbing the waistband of his boxers. He immediately lifted his hips and she pushed his boxers down to his knees. She grinned saucily at him. "I won't even make you do any of the work," she said, slinging a leg over his waist and lowering herself down onto him. "Oh," she groaned, her eyes closing as her head fell back helplessly.

She gripped his waist just above her knees, using it as leverage to increase her pace. Nathan's hips thrust eagerly up off the mattress, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from coming instantly. God, it really _had_ been a long time. "Haley," he said gutturally.

But she didn't hear him. She was already groaning, her hand between her legs stroking her core.

"Baby, slow down," Nathan said.

"Can't…" she said breathily as he watched her body bouncing above him.

Well, the least he could do was help her along—and he knew just how to do it. He licked the pads of his thumbs, and then reached for her breasts, stroking them with his hands as his thumbs flicked back and forth over her taut nipples. She opened one eye and grinned appreciatively at him, then closed it again. She'd always loved breast action. A few more strokes and he heard her whimper. "Are you close?" she asked.

_Was he close? _Nathan nearly chuckled at the thought. His hips soared off the mattress, slamming into one last time, exploding as she cried out his name.

She sat there above him; her body slouched over from the passion they'd just shared. He closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of her breathing evening out.

He felt her lean forward and place a feather soft kiss on his cheek. "Maybe you just gave me a baby for Christmas," she whispered.

* * *

Haley was in the shower; Lydia was still fast asleep, and Jamie was in front of the television watching cartoons. He wasn't proud of the fact that he'd used the television to distract his son, but Nathan could hardly believe what was going on. After months of merely _existing_ in the same house, he and Haley had found their way back together—sort of. And he wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste.

* * *

"I love the hair," Nathan said with a grin, standing in the doorway watching his wife as she readied herself for the day. It was cut shorter, almost to her chin, with her bangs swept off to the side. He'd never seen the color so dark before.

She laughed. "You said you wanted me to grow it out," she reminded him.

"I lied," he said, his gaze locked on hers in the mirror. He stalked slowly forward. "I think you should wear what you have on," he told her.

She giggled as his arms snaked around her waist from behind. "I'm not wearing anything," she said breathlessly.

"I know," he said, lowering his lips to take her earlobe between his teeth. He lifted her effortlessly by the waist and took two steps to the left before lowering her feet to the floor again.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" she asked, opening her eyes and meeting his in the mirror once again.

He smirked at her. "This time _I'm_ going to do all the work," he teased. "Lift your leg up."

"The kids—"

"Are fine," he whispered huskily. "Now listen to your husband."

She complied, lifting her leg off the floor. Nathan reached for the crease behind her knee and positioned her so her foot was resting on the side of the bathtub.

"Oooh," she said in surprise as his hand reached between them and began to rub her core. "Nathan…"

"Sssh," he said, his other hand palming her breast as he moved it roughly back and forth.

"Oh, Nathan," she said again. "You're so…" She wasn't able to finish her sentence, and Nathan couldn't help himself. He'd wanted to get her off with no thought to himself, but the fact of the matter was he was throbbing desperately to be inside of her again. He spun her around, and seizing her waist, lifted her up and deposited her onto the bathroom counter in front of the mirror.

"Hurry up!" she said franticly. He pulled his plaid pajama pants and boxers down to his ankles in one motion, then stood, slamming immediately inside of her with a groan.

"Oh," she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck, using the hold to move in tempo with him.

"Haley," he said his tone soft despite the urgency he felt.

"Come, Nathan," she commanded as if she knew how badly he needed it.


	4. Chapter 4

"Daddy," Jamie said in an urgent whisper. "Mommy is going to come downstairs in just a minute, and you still haven't put chocolate sauce on my pancake!"

Nathan looked at his son and had to stifle the urge to give the little boy a bone crushing hug. It had been so long since Jamie had looked at him with such adoration, then again…it wasn't like he deserved it. As far as his son was concerned—in _real _time—Nathan was the man who'd been neglecting his mother.

"You're right," he said, slinging the dish towel over his shoulder and taking the few steps to the refrigerator. He pulled out the chocolate syrup and popped it open on his way back to the counter where Jamie was sitting, smothering the pancake in enough syrup so you couldn't see what was underneath.

"Awesome!" Jamie exclaimed with a grin. "You've _never _poured out half the bottle before!"

"What's awesome?" Haley asked as she walked into the room.

Nathan gave her a sexy grin. "Your cheeks look a bit flushed, Mrs. Scott," he said as she made her way to the coffee pot. "_That's_ pretty awesome."

"Yes, well," she said, a bit flustered. "I _did _just run down the stairs."

Before she could pull a mug out of the cupboard, he was wrapping his arms around her from behind, leaning down to place a kiss just below her ear. "You make jeans sexy," he whispered in her ear.

Haley laughed. "_You _are ravenous this morning," she commented, moving her head to the side to give him more room to work with.

"Yes," he agreed as he straightened, giving her a playful slap on the ass before backing away. "Yes, I am."

"What time are grandma and grandpa getting here?" Jamie piped up.

"We need to pick them up from the airport in two hours, Jimmy Jam," Haley answered as she filled her coffee mug with steaming hot liquid.

"Do you think they brought me lots of presents?" he asked taking a huge bite of his pancake.

Haley gave him a stern look. "That is _not _what Christmas is about," she reminded him. "It's about—is that chocolate sauce on your pancake?" she asked.

"Just a little," Jamie answered, shoveling another bite into his mouth before his mother could pull his plate away.

"Jamie, you used half the bottle! You're going to get ten thousand cavities from that," she warned.

"I don't even have ten thousand teeth," her son shot back. "Besides…_Dad_ did it."

Haley turned to her husband, giving him the same stern glare she'd just given her son. "Nathan."

He shrugged, holding his hands up in front of him. "He gave me that grin," he said, defending himself.

"Yeah," Haley said, turning to Jamie. "I _know _that grin."

* * *

"What do you suppose they're talking about in there?" Jimmy asked, looking toward the kitchen.

Nathan chuckled. "Us. Or, you know…cooking."

Jimmy laughed before turning to him, a serious look on his face. "You've been a good husband to my daughter, Nathan," he said sincerely.

Nathan wasn't sure what to say; he knew it wasn't true. Sure, maybe it was in _this_ lifetime, but he was going to wake up in the morning, and it probably wasn't going to _be_ this lifetime. "Thank you," he said, overwhelmed with guilt.

Jimmy nodded. "I had my doubts," he admitted, arching a brow at the younger man. "Especially when you marched into my house at sixteen years old and asked me if you could marry her."

Nathan nodded. "That was actually one of my finer moments," he joked.

"I agree," his father in law said, looking him in straight in the eye. "You take good care of her."

Nathan sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to say to the man who was singing his praises.

"And I'm going to need for you to keep doing that," Jimmy said. "I need to know…that you're going to take care of her."

"Of course," Nathan said quickly; he didn't like where this was going.

"I have cancer, Nate," he finally said.

"Wha—you—cancer?" Nathan repeated in disbelief.

Jimmy nodded. "Pancreatic. That's why we're here. After Christmas, we're going to tell Haley."

Nathan sat there for a moment in shock. "What…what's the prognosis?" he asked, but he already knew.

"Six months," Jimmy answered.

"I…I don't know what to say," Nathan said. "I…" He lifted his hands and rubbed his eyes with his palms. "Jimmy," was all he could choke out.

"Haley will be fine, Nathan, because she has you. But I'm worried about my wife. Now, you _know_ Lydia. She's going to pretend to be fine…for everyone else. But she's going to hurt. And she's going to need someone to help her get through this. But she won't ask for help."

"She won't have to," Nathan said fiercely.

"Thank you, Nathan," Jimmy said sincerely. "I knew I could count on you."

* * *

"Is it weird that I feel safer with my parents in the house?" Haley asked later that night as they lay in bed.

"No," Nathan answered turning to face her.

"It reminds me of when I was younger. I feel like you should sneak out of my bedroom window before they wake up," she said with a laugh.

"OK," Nathan agreed teasingly, "But when they see the kids…I think they'll know what we've been up to."

Haley smiled, and then leaned forward to give her husband a kiss. "I love you," she said, pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes.

Nathan lifted his eyes to the ceiling, his mind racing. If he and Haley divorced, she'd be going through this alone…or, he thought with a scowl, _Jason. _Jimmy would have had that talk with _him_, and Haley would be leaning on _him _through what was sure to be the roughest time of her life.

He _hated_ that thought. The only thing worse than Haley's father having cancer would be not being the one here for her…not being the rock that she was going to need.

Nathan fought his fatigue for as long as he could; he was afraid to lose everything he had here. But resistance was futile; sleep eventually claimed him.


	5. Chapter 5

_a/n: If you guys want more, let me know. I'm not sure if the interest is still there but if it is, I'll continue until I've finished all of my stories that are in-progress._

* * *

Nathan groaned as his body pulled itself from slumber. He was afraid to open his eyes; who knew what was in store for him when he did? One thing he knew was that no matter what happened he was going to make it right with Haley and the kids. And the sooner the better.

Over the last few days—or maybe it had all been a dream even though it sure as hell hadn't felt like it—he'd experienced what life without Haley would be like, and what it was when things were good. There was no way in hell that another man was going to get his hands on Nathan's wife.

He opened his eyes slowly, and when he spied Haley clinging to the side of the bed in sleep, he knew where he was: Exactly where he was supposed to be. He just hadn't been doing what he should have been doing.

A quick glance at the clock told him it was five-thirty. Lydia, the earliest Scott riser, wouldn't be up until at least six-thirty. Haley would sleep like a log until then. He moved across the mattress, and placing his hand gently on Haley's waist he turned her until she was facing him. True to form, his wife didn't even stir. He stayed on his side and moved as close to her as he could. His eyes closed as he pulled her body against his and let out a shaky breath. He forgot how perfectly they fit together. _God, she felt so good against him._

Her dark lashes were resting on her cheeks, and she sighed softly as she shimmied closer to him. Nathan leaned forward, resting his chin on the top of her head as his eyelids closed. He could stay like this forever.

* * *

Haley, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. "Nathan!"

Nathan's eyes flew open when his wife hissed his name. "What?" he asked groggily.

"Let go of me," she demanded, clawing at his t-shirt.

"No," he said, tightening his hold on her.

"Wha—" She stopped moving, shocked by his response. "I _said_ let go of me," she repeated.

"And I said no," he replied patiently.

Haley sighed in frustration. "What are you doing, Nathan?" she asked.

"Kiss me," he said softly.

Haley's eyes widened. "What?" she asked.

"Kiss me," he said again.

"You haven't wanted to kiss me in months," she reminded him.

"Well I want to now."

Haley sat there for a moment studying his face. "If I kiss you, you'll let me go," she said doubtfully.

Nathan nodded, and sighing, Haley leaned forward and placed a quick peck on his lips. "There," she said. "Now let me go."

Nathan chuckled. "That was a kiss, Hales," he informed her.

"Well, it's the only one you're going to get," she said stubbornly.

Instead of answering, he locked his gaze on hers and lifted his fingertips to rest them just beneath her chin. Slowly, he pulled her face towards his, and he felt his heart begin to race at the thought of finally kissing his wife again. Funny how it hadn't occurred to him over the last several months and now it was all he could think about.

"I have morning breath," she blurted.

"Doesn't matter, Hales," he told her. "You always taste good to me."

When she pursed her lips together, Nathan ran his tongue patiently back and forth over the seam of her lips.

He could tell she was doing her best not to respond, but when she finally parted her lips his tongue plunged forward, desperate for even the smallest taste of the wife he'd neglected. He was surprised when she whimpered longingly, her body shivering beneath his touch. But it spurred him on, and as his tongue stroked hers he felt her hands creep beneath his t-shirt. As her hands roamed over the heated skin of his chest, Nathan felt his arousal grow and knew that if he didn't stop now, he wasn't going to be able to.

He used every ounce of resolve he had to pull himself away from her.

"Nathan—" she said huskily, clawing at his shirt for an entirely different reason now.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Haley," he said sincerely.

He moved to his side of the mattress and grabbed his pajama bottoms from the foot of the bed.

"What the hell just happened?" Haley demanded.

"We just kissed," he told her with a light teasing tone in his voice.

Haley flopped onto her back and threw an arm up so it was resting just above her head on the pillow. Her t-shirt clung tightly to her chest as she struggled for air, the fabric moving with every breath she took.

"You probably would've known that if I hadn't waited so damn long to do it," he said bitterly. But he wasn't mad at her; he was disgusted with himself.

"But I thought—"

"Not to sound cocky, Haley—"

"That's never stopped you before," she said wryly.

Nathan chuckled. "You're right," he agreed. "But we've never had a problem in the bedroom, Hales."

Her eyes flew to his thighs. "Are you telling me there's a problem _now_?" she asked.

"No. There's definitely no problem with that," Nathan answered dryly. "What I'm telling you is that I want to fix what's wrong," he explained.

"Oh, God. Nathan," she groaned covering her face with her hands. "Would you please _stop_?"

He tied the drawstring on his pants and then walked over to her side of the bed and sat down next to her. "If I stop, are you going to let me stay?" he asked softly as he reached forward and pushed a lock of hair away from her face.

Haley bit her lower lip as she shook her head back and forth on the pillow. "No," she whispered brokenly. "It's too late."

"It's not too late, Hales," he argued. "And no. I won't stop."

"Nathan—"

A cry from Lydia drew both of their eyes to the baby monitor and Nathan stood. "I'll get her," he said.

"This doesn't mean you can stay," Haley told him.

"I know that," he said. "But if you want me to leave, Haley, you're going to have to have me forcibly removed."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "You think I won't do that?" she asked with a challenging gleam in her eyes.

"I don't think you _can _do that," he told her.

"You think I'm weak," she said.

"I've never thought that," Nathan said firmly. "But what I _do _think is that you still love me."

"Nathan—"

"And newsflash, Hales," Nathan said, stopping in the doorway to look at her over his shoulder. "_I _still love _you_."


	6. Chapter 6

_a/n: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter. :)_

* * *

_I _still love _you._

Ten minutes later Haley still hadn't moved from her spot on the bed, and Nathan's words were still echoing through her mind. How long had it been her since her husband had told her he loved her? The answer was east…a _long_ time.

And how long since he'd said it with such conviction? Even longer.

She rolled up onto her side and gazed at the baby monitor, listening as Nathan made idle chit chat with their daughter. She hadn't heard him use that playful voice in a long time. A smile made its way across her face as Lydia giggled at whatever her father was doing. Eventually they left the nursery and Haley's mind started racing in the silence.

She lifted her hand in front of her face and stared unblinkingly at her wedding ring as she moved in circles around her finger. Haley couldn't help but wonder when it had lost its meaning. When had she decided that if Nathan wasn't going to be the husband she wanted, then she'd spitefully push him away? She wasn't minimizing his part in this—Nathan had made decisions that had hurt their family—but how easy would it have been to tell him that instead of shutting him out and letting it simmer inside of her?

It had been so easy to blame him when he wasn't being what she wanted him to be. But standing there, gazing at her the way he had when they'd first met...declaring his love for her…it hadn't been so simple.

Haley didn't realize she was crying until she felt the tears sliding down her cheeks. Once they started it was like floodgates opening, and she couldn't stop. The tears were accompanied by sobs and Haley buried her face in her pillow to muffle the sound. She didn't want Nathan coming in to see what was wrong; she wasn't sure she could handle his kindness right now without falling apart.

Haley knew one thing for certain—she still loved her husband. And she'd be able to get over the rift that they hadn't stopped from happening.

But if Nathan left…that was something Haley knew she'd never recover from. She just didn't know if she could trust him with her heart again.

* * *

"Nice shot, Buddy!" Nathan said as he rebounded the basketball for his son and tossed it back to him. He looked over at the clapping sound coming from Lydia's walker, grinning as she pounded her hands enthusiastically together.

"Hey, look!" Jamie said as he dropped the ball. "Uncle Lucas is here."

Nathan's heart sank has Jamie took off running towards Lucas's vehicle. His brother got out of the black Escalade and ruffled Jamie's hair, then pulled his oldest daughter out of the back and set her on the ground beside him, taking her hand as he started walking over.

Jamie was obviously excited to see Lucas, and he was chatting animatedly as they made his way over. It was the first time Nathan had ever been jealous of his brother. Jamie had barely said two words to _him _all morning.

"Nate," Lucas said in greeting as he stopped in front of him.

"Hey," Nathan said, trying to sound casual, but it was hard. Lucas had always been Haley's sounding board, and Nathan knew his brother was more aware of his wife's feelings than he was. He bent down in front of his niece and gently tapped her nose. "Hi, Penelope," he said softly.

She grinned at him, and then screeched as Jamie pulled on her pigtail.

"Hey!" Nathan said.

"She likes it," Lucas interrupted before Nathan could further scold his son.

"Oh," he said in surprise. "OK."

As the two scurried off, Nathan glanced at Lydia then looked back to his brother and put his hands in his pockets. "I might've known that if I'd been around lately," he admitted sheepishly.

Lucas didn't say anything, but Nathan could see his brother's jaw start to tick.

"Thanks for looking out for my family when I wasn't doing what I should've been, but…that's all gonna change, Lucas," Nathan told him.

"Yeah?" Lucas finally said. "When, Nate?"

"Starting right now," Nathan answered.

"That's going to be hard to do from Los Angeles," Lucas said, and Nathan could feel the fury radiating from him.

Nathan cleared his throat. "I'm not re-signing with the Clippers, Luke."

He saw the surprise in his brother's eyes. "But they offered you—"

"I know what they offered me," Nathan interrupted. "But it's not enough."

"How much money _would _be enough for you, Nate?" Lucas pressed. "Because they're offering you one of the best contracts in Clippers history."

"It's not about money," Nathan responded, meeting his brother's gaze levelly.

"Then what's it about?" Lucas wanted to know.

"It's about my wife, Lucas. And my kids," Nathan said in a low voice. "The first time I signed with the Clippers, I didn't even discuss it with Haley. And then I had the nerve to get mad because she wasn't 'supportive' enough," he continued, and Nathan could feel his anger at himself rising. "Because she wouldn't move our family across the country.

"Nate—"

"Do you know what a dick I've been?"

Lucas laughed hollowly. "Yeah. Actually, I do…" he said.

"Well, no more!" Nathan said firmly. "I let my family fall apart, and it's up to me to put it back together."

"Nate, if you're not going to play for the Clippers, then…what about your career?" Lucas asked.

"I'm gonna play for the Bobcats," Nathan told him.

"And if they don't make an offer?" Lucas probed.

"Then I don't play ball," Nathan announced.

Lucas grinned as he slapped Nathan on the back. "Welcome back, Little Brother."

Nathan laughed. "It's good to be back."

Lucas motioned his chin towards the basketball lying in the middle of the Rivercourt. "A game of one on one?"

"Oh, come on, Luke," Nathan said jokingly. "I don't want to embarrass you in front of your daughter."

Lucas grinned again. "Loser buys breakfast?"

Nathan pretended to think about it for a moment, then took his jacket off and tossed it to the side. "You're on, Big Brother."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey, Jimmy-Jam" Haley said as her son ran into the kitchen, followed by Nathan with Lydia in his arms. "Where have you guys been?" she asked.

"Rivercourt," Jamie answered on his way to the fridge, pulling out the orange juice once he'd flung the door open. Haley arched a brow at him as he lifted the carton to his mouth. "Dad let me do it earlier," he said unapologetically.

She looked at Nathan and he shrugged, grinning shamelessly. "Boy gave me the eyes, Hales."

Haley felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of the nickname she hadn't heard in so long pass through her husband's lips.

"Uncle Lucas was there," Jamie announced as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

Haley walked over and slapped her son playfully on the back of his head. "Ever heard of a napkin?" she asked dryly.

Jamie grinned. "Him and Dad played one on one," he said, ignoring her question.

"_He _and Dad," she corrected automatically. "Who won?"

Jamie scoffed. "Dad. Duh."

"Ummm…did you just 'duh' me?" Haley asked in shock.

"It was kind of a dumb question, Mom," Jamie told her. "Of course Dad won."

"Of course," Haley agreed wryly as the phone rang. The cordless was on the counter next to her, so she snagged it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Hales," Luke said.

"Hey, Loser," Haley said teasingly.

"Hey—I was _just _warmed up after that first game, and your husband copped out and wouldn't play a second," he explained.

"Excuses, excuses," Haley said with a laugh. "What's up?"

"Well, Brooke is having movie night with the kids, and we thought maybe Jamie and Lydia would like to join us," he suggested.

"Oh, that sounds fun," Haley said. "What time should we be there?"

"I'll pick them up around five," Lucas told her. "And pack overnight bags for them. Brooke's got a Christmas marathon planned."

"OK," Haley said. "But…I can…drop them off."

She heard Lucas sigh on the other end of the phone. "You're not invited, Hales," Lucas said bluntly.

"But—"

"Brooke's orders," Lucas told her. "And I don't argue with my wife."

"But—" she tried again.

"Five OK?" Lucas pressed.

"Yeah…I guess so," she said flabbergasted.

"Great," Lucas said. "I'll see you then."

* * *

"What did you and Lucas talk about this morning?" Haley asked after Jamie left the room.

Nathan shrugged as he put his hands in his pants pockets. "Nothing, really," he answered evasively. "Why?"

"Because…he and Brooke are taking the kids for the night," she told him. "It's a bit…coincidental. Don't you think?"

Nathan didn't say anything, just walked slowly toward her. He didn't stop until he was so close that she had to look up to see his face. "Haley James Scott, are you afraid to be alone with me?" he asked in amusement.

"No," she said more shrilly than she'd intended. "Of course not."

"Afraid you won't be able to keep your hands off your husband?" he pressed, eyes dancing. The expression on her face told her he was thinking about this morning.

"Not even a little bit," she managed to croak out past her suddenly dry throat.

Nathan chuckled as he took a step back. "That smug little look isn't gonna work, Hales. It was just a few hours ago that you were trying to claw your way through my t-shirt."

Haley felt her cheeks heat. "I was trying to get away from you," she argued, looking away.

"Sure…at first," Nathan said with a scoff. "Admit it, Hales. You wanted me."

Haley straightened, ready to deny his accusation. But what was the point? "Fine," she conceded weakly. "So I was…in the mood."

"Are you now?" Nathan challenged.

"No," she lied, but she felt her nipples pucker beneath her shirt at the mere thought of her husband being inside of her. Why did he have to look so damn sexy in jeans and a black t-shirt? It was just denim and cotton, for God's sake!

"Bet I could get you there again," Nathan told her as his eyes darkened with desire.

Haley rolled her eyes. "After months of being celibate, it wouldn't be that hard."

Nathan lifted his eyebrows at her, and she was staring so intently at his face that she screeched in surprise when his finger and thumb circled her wrist, pulling her hand forward to rest her palm on the fabric between his thighs.

"It is for _me_," he said dryly.

Haley's breath caught in her throat. Nathan's dick had always been impressive, but after a hundred and nine days without it, it was more imposing than she remembered. Her hand itched to move back and forth, to reach beneath the denim and boxer briefs he was sure to be wearing to wrap her hand around him. But she resisted the urge, pulling her hand away instead. Jamie was upstairs, and Lydia was just on the other side of the counter.

"If we're going to work things out—"

"We are," Nathan interrupted.

Haley took a deep breath and shook her head. "I still haven't made up my mind about that yet," she admitted.

"It's OK," Nathan assured her. "I have."

Haley sighed. "_If _we're going to work things out, it needs to be about more than sex, Nathan."

"That's not a problem, Hales. We've always been about more than just sex," he reminded her. "And we're always gonna be."

Haley nodded. "Then tonight…when the kids are gone…" She didn't trust herself to sleep with her husband for the first time in months while her kids were in the house. She wasn't sure _how _she was going to react, but she certainly didn't want to wake either of her children with screams or moans. "We'll…have sex," she finished.

"We'll make love," Nathan corrected.

"Nathan—"

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "_I'll _make love. And you can have all the sex you want."

His words were like an electrical current going straight to her center, and Haley felt a trickle between her thighs.

Five o'clock was a long way off.

* * *

_a/n: Thank so much for reading and reviewing! Who wants more? ;)_


	8. Chapter 8

"Can I take your coat?" Nathan asked as he shut the front door behind them.

Haley nodded, turning around so her husband could help her. His fingertips brushed her bare shoulders as he pulled the garment down over her arms, her skin tingled where he'd touched her. He'd been like this all through dinner: either the perfect gentleman or flirting with her. She'd forgotten what it was like to be on the other end of Nathan's teasing. His smile had always been disarming to say the least, and her heart had sped up more than once throughout their meal.

The sexy gleam in his eyes had been unmistakable—he was a man who knew he was going to get lucky tonight. Haley couldn't help but wonder if _she_ had a tell—something that let him know how much she was anticipating the nights events.

Butterflies danced in her stomach at the thought of her husband making love to her. No matter what else was going on between them, her body never stopped longing for his. He knew exactly what she liked…just where she wanted to be touched…the pace that would send her over the edge.

She stepped out of her shoes and kicked them off to the side lightly, waiting patiently as Nathan hung their coats up. He froze as he turned to look at her, his eyes dropping to her mouth. Haley realized what her tell was as her tongue slid along her lower lip. Nathan's eyes darkened with desire, his gaze never leaving her lips until she drew her tongue back inside of her mouth.

They stood there for in silence…long enough for Haley to second guess Nathan's intentions. Did he still want to make love to her?

She took a slow step backward toward the stairs. "Are you coming?" she asked softly.

A single step from her husband closed the distance between them. Nathan clasped her wrist and pulled her hand to his mouth, giving her palm a light kiss. "I'll be up in a just a minute."

* * *

Nathan felt his wife's skin jump beneath his kiss and hoped to God it was excitement and not regret. There was nothing he wanted more than to make love to Haley tonight…to feel her surround him…tight and hot while he exploded inside of her. He felt his cock twitch at the thought. It had been so long, he could only pray he'd last long enough that she could come with him.

He put their leftovers from dinner in the refrigerator and left his shoes by the door before heading up the staircase.

When he walked into their bedroom, Haley was already lying in the middle of the mattress. He walked to the foot of the bed and took a moment to study her bare form—not too long as it always made her self-conscious. Her body had changed over the years, first from her pregnancy with Jamie and then again with Lydia. Her breasts were fuller than they'd been when they were both seventeen, and her hips had widened, but he loved it. He loved everything about her, down the stretch marks she'd acquired with each of their children. She insisted they were hideous, but the truth was he barely noticed them.

Nathan's gaze locked on Haley's as he seized her ankles. A gentle tug pulled her forward on the mattress; he stopped when her calves reached his waist. The rapid rise and fall of her chest caught his attention for a just moment before placing his palm on one of her heels and lifting her foot.

* * *

Haley's breath hitched as her husband turned his head and placed a soft kiss on her inner ankle. His tongue darted out leaving a cool, damp spot on her flesh; the sensation rocketed up her leg straight to her core, and she couldn't hold back a desperate whimper.

He rested her heel on his shoulder, then ran his fingertips lightly over her skin until he reached the back of her knee, stropping only for a second to stroke the sensitive spot.

As Nathan leaned forward, Haley felt a rush of moist heat between her thighs. He positioned himself so that the back of her knee was resting against his shoulder, and the more he inclined his body, the further back Haley's leg went until she felt herself part slightly. Nathan didn't stop until his face was hidden between her thighs.

She barely heard his 'mmmm' before he parted her further with his fingers. His tongue delved immediately inside of her, and Haley's hips sprung up off the mattress. "Nathan!" she cried.

He pulled his tongue from her and began to move it back and forth over her slit; her core was aching so desperately she could feel it strain every time Nathan's tongue grazed it.

"Nathan…please!" she whimpered.

His tongue surrounded the throbbing surface, and he sucked hard. He drew her clit between his teeth, gently tugging and sucking the swollen area.

Haley felt like her entire body was humming as her head thrashed back and forth on her pillow. "Nathan, no," she managed to get out between gasps. "Stop," she begged raggedly.

Nathan immediately stopped, lifting his head in surprise.

She lifted her upper body onto her elbows so she could meet his gaze. "It's been…so long…" she said. "Please…I want…I want to come with you inside of me."

She didn't have to ask twice. Nathan immediately pulled away to stand beside the bed, ridding himself swiftly of his clothing.

Haley moved back just a bit on the mattress to make room for her husband. A quick glimpse of his stiff, thick cock sent another rush of warm liquid to her center and she opened her legs as far as she could as he positioned himself between her thighs.

The head of his cock teased her opening as he lowered his face to hers. As their lips met, Nathan's tongue slid slowly forward, his kiss relaxed and gentle as his tongue whirled around her mouth. His taste was a mixture of both of them and Haley deepened the kiss, thrusting her own tongue against his.

He broke their kiss so their eyes could meet. "I love you, Haley," he told her as he finally plunged inside of her. Haley's lower body flew up off the mattress, her hips slamming against his. She hissed as he filled her with a single stroke.

"You OK?" he asked.

Haley bit her lower lip as she nodded.

"Good," he returned with a grin. He placed his hands on either side of her head, giving himself enough leverage so that his length rubbed against her core with each thrust.

Within seconds, Haley felt her body clench around her husband's. Her eyelids slid closed, her lower body still moving with his. "Nathan." It was the only word she was able to choke out. A kaleidoscopic of colors burst forth behind her eyelids as her she felt her release at the same time Nathan exploded inside of her.

His body collapsed on top of hers, and she reached up, gently stroking his hair until her breathing finally evened out.

She lifted her head and kissed him softly on the shoulder. "I love you, too," she whispered.

* * *

_Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter! Let me know what you think of this one. More? ;)_


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